Darkness, the Moon, and A Couple of Holes
by ZombiOtter
Summary: Her friend is missing, her mother is dead, and now her, her sister, and her brother are staying with their Aunt. Will she be able to find her friend in time? And what's the secret her Aunt is hiding? NO ROMANCE AT ALL!
1. Losing a Friend

**_I was bored and instead of cleaning my room, I decided to just write something. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with this but oh well._**

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Luna Crowe sat on the railing, waiting for Ellie. They had a plan to meet before Ellie left to go home to her family. Ellie was staying with Luna till her family got settled in their new home. Luna lived with her Mom, her sister Misty, and her brother Nathaniel. Her siblings were younger then her, but they were a big part of her life. After all, she was the one teaching them how to act like…

"Luna!" Ellie shouted from the cab. Luna jumped from the railing and ran over to her friend. They hugged, knowing this was the last time they would see each other.

"Hey." Luna said, fighting the tears. Ellie and her had been friends since they could remember and they were always together. Now, Ellie was moving across the country. "When do you have to go?"

Ellie looked at her watch. "My train leaves at ten. I can only stay a couple minutes." Suddenly, Ellie started crying. "Sorry, I just don't want to leave."

Seeing Ellie's tears made Luna cry. She hugged Ellie again. "I don't want you to leave either." She moved her friend to where she could look her in the eyes. "But you have to go. Your parents are waiting for you."

"I know." Ellie said, sniffing. "I'm just going to miss you." She pulled out a box and handed it to Luna. "This is for you. Don't open it till I leave."

"I'll miss you." Luna said giving her friend one last hug goodbye. Ellie turned around and ran back to the cab. The car pulled off leaving Luna miserable and alone.

Now, she lost her best, and only, friend.

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Luna placed the box on the desk. She sat on her bed and stared at it. She was scared to open it because, she knew that as soon as she did, Ellie would truly be gone. She heard a sniff at her doorway. She turned to see Misty, standing there and crying.

"What's wrong, honey?" She asked her sister, signaling for Misty to sit by her on the bed.

"I miss Ellie." Misty said, letting out a sob. Luna hugged her little sister.

"I know." She said, stroking her sisters hair. "I miss her too. But she'll be back to visit."

"No she won't." Misty said looking up. "She won't be coming back."

Luna knew her sister's powers. She could see the future. She knew when things would happen. "What do you mean?"

"I saw it. Someone took her." Misty looked at Luna, scared.

"Who took her, Misty?" Luna took her sister by the shoulders.

Misty let out another sob and wailed, "I don't know."

Luna let her sister go and jumped off her bed. She ran down stairs, taking them two at a time. When she got to the kitchen, her mother was finishing the dishes.

"Mom, Misty said someone's taken Ellie." Luna said, finally letting go of the tears.

"What?" Her mother put down the wash cloth and walked over to Luna. She wiped a tear off Luna's cheek. "Do you know who took her?"

Luna shook her head, "Misty said she didn't know." Luna took a deep breath. "Mom, what are we gonna do?"

Her mother stared out in space, her way of figuring things out. "I'll be back." She kissed Luna's forehead. "Watch the kids."

"Where are you going?" Luna got worried. Her mother was known for seeing things others can't. Luna assumed her mother saw where Ellie was.

"I'll be right back" She grabbed her purse and her jacket and closed the door behind her.

"I promise."

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**_I know what I'm doing with this. It's exciting because I never know what I'm going to do with my stories. Woo hoo!_**


	2. Learning About a Death

**_I was going to wait for the chapter, but was too excited!_**

**_Disclaimer- I dont own anything about Holes. All I own is Luna, Misty, Nathaniel, Mrs. Westerman, and Ellie ( although Ellie is my best friend in real life, the character based on her is my idea)_**

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It had been a few days and Luna had heard nothing from her mother. When she wasn't in school, Luna was either feeding the kids or sitting by the phone, waiting for some kind of call. 

The call she got was the call she didn't want.

She answered the phone with hope, "Mom?"

"Excuse me…" Said a voice on the other end of the phone. It sounded like a lady who was too high on herself.

"I'm sorry…" Luna said, upset it wasn't her mother. "Who is this?"

"This is your aunt." The woman said.

"My what??" Luna hadn't even realized she had an aunt. Her mother never talked about her.

"Your aunt." The woman said, annoyed. "I called about your mother."

Luna knew something bad was coming. "What about my mother?"

There was a pause.

"Your mother's dead." The voice was cold and uncaring.

"What?" Luna said with a chuckle, not believing.

"I said your mother's dead." The voice said again.

Luna sat with the phone against her ear. She was partly in shock and partly in disbelief. "Your lying." She accused.

"Why would I lie?"

"Because…" Luna tried looking for an answer, realizing there was no other reason for the phone call but the truth. She started crying and placed her hand over her mouth. "No." She said.

She dropped the phone. Her mother was gone. All because of her.

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Luna looked out the window of the van. Misty was asleep in the back seat, holding her bunny close and Nathaniel was sitting next to her, reading one of his books.

Luna sighed. She was heading out to the middle of the desert to stay with a woman she didn't even know. She looked back at her sister and then at her brother. Now, they depended on her. She had to protect them.

"You okay?" The woman driving asked. Her name was Abby Westerman. She was the Crowe siblings social worker. She had blonde hair and was very young. Luna liked her because she was nice.

"I'm fine." Luna said, lying. She was really worried. "What'll happen to us?"

"Your be staying here with your Aunt Louise." Mrs. Westerman said, keeping her eyes on the dusty road. "She runs a detention camp for boys."

That's what worried Luna. She didn't like the fact that her sister and her would be staying with a bunch of delinquents. "What if something happens?"

"Nothing is going to happen." Mrs. Westerman said, smiling. "I promise."

"That's what my mother said," Luna muttered to herself.

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**_Hope you enjoy this story:)_**


	3. Meeting Aunt Louise

**_I hope you like this. This is definitely going to be different. First, Luna is older. She's 17. So, she won't end up with one of the boys._**

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Luna stepped out of the car, looking around her. It was dusty and hot, two things Luna hated.

"Lu, do we have to stay here?" Nathaniel asked, looking around.

"Unfortunately, Nat, yes." Luna placed her arm around her brothers shoulder. "But as long as I'm here, you don't have to worry about anything."

Misty sniffed again. "I'm scared."

"Misty, don't be." Westerman said. _Poor children. They have no idea what they are getting into._

Luna looked at Westerman. She heard peoples thoughts, which always gives her the creeps.

"Well, well." A tall red headed lady was standing behind them. "Are these my nieces and my nephew?"

Luna looked the lady up and down. This must have been the lady she talked to on the phone. This must be her Aunt Louise.

"Yes, this is them, Miss Walker." Westerman said. "This is Luna, Misty, and Nathaniel."

"Glad to meet you." Aunt Louise said. Luna could already tell that her aunt wanted nothing to do with them.

"You children wait here." Westerman said. She followed their Aunt into a run down building.

"Now what, Lu?" Misty said, still sniffing. Luna picked up her sister and sat her on her waist.

"We wait here." Luna said looking around. It was basically empty. Luna really didn't like the looks of this place.

Ten minutes later, Westerman and Aunt Louise walked out. They shook hands and Westerman headed back to her car.

Before she got in, Westerman looked at the kids, who were just standing there, and said, "Take care and I'll be back soon." Another thing Luna's mother said.

They watched Westerman drive off. After a few minutes, they turned around and looked at their aunt.

"Well, follow me. I'll show you where you'll be staying." Aunt Louise said. Luna placed Misty on the ground and they gathered their bags. They followed Aunt Louise to a raggedy tent. "In here, there are three beds one for each of you. Now breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served there, and my cabins there."

Aunt Louise walked off and over to her tent, leaving Luna, Misty, and Nat to fend for themselves.

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"Lu, I'm bored." Misty said, whining.

"I know, but we have to get unpacked first." Luna looked at her little sister. She was only five, so Luna always went easy on her.

"I miss mom." Nathaniel said. "I wish she was here."

"I know. I miss mom, too." Luna sat next to her brother. "But, she's gone. You still have me."

Nathaniel sighed, stood up and finished unpacking. "Aunt Louise is really mean."

Luna chuckled, "I agree. She seems so cold and heartless."

Nathaniel looked at her, puzzled. "I didn't think someone could live without a heart."

Luna laughed. He was ten and smarter then any high school kid she knew, but he was still a child. "It's an expression. You know, like, 'don't count your chickens before the hatch'?"

"Oh!" Nathaniel smiled. Then, they both realized it got a little too quiet. "Where's Misty?"

Luna looked around the room in a panic. She couldn't find Misty anywhere. "Oh no.." Luna ran out of the room, Nathaniel on her heels.

When they got outside, they both looked around in a panic. Luna should have remembered that Misty loved wandering.

A bunch of boys were walking by. They stared and whispered. Luna grabbed one whispering boy, "Have you seen a little girl? She's five, short, black hair in pig tails."

The boy looked at her in astonishment. "Yeah, she just went in there." He pointed to a run down building where a crowd of boys walked into.

"Thanks!" Luna yelled back to the boy, who was still standing there. Her and Nathaniel ran as fast as the could to the building.

When they got there, all the boys inside stopped and watched them. They looked around, worrying about Misty. One boy stood up. He was tall, younger then Luna, but looked older.

"Hey, girlie." He said. Luna pulled Nathaniel closer, wrapping her arms around him. "What you doing here?"

Luna gave him a look. "It's none of your business." She looked around again. "Nat, do you see her?"

Nat shook his head, then called out, "There she is!" He pointed to a pool table. Misty was sitting on top with her bunny, crying. A group of boys were standing around her. One had his hand on her shoulder.

Luna ran over. "Get your hands off her!" She yelled out. She scooped up Misty, who threw her arms around Luna's neck. "Honey, I was so worried."

Misty sobbed. "I wanted to look around with bunny. I couldn't remember where you were."

"She yours?" A boy with glasses said.

"What's it to you?" Luna was always defensive with the kids.

"Well, she should be more careful." Said another boy. He had a doo-rag and a hat on. "She was scared."

"I wonder why." Luna said. She put Misty on the ground, who ran over and hugged Nathaniel. "What did you do?"

"Nothing!" A bigger boy said. "We were trying to calm her down."

Luna looked at the boys around her. She kneeled down to Misty. "Is that true?"

Misty nodded her head. "They were nice."

Luna stood up. "I'm sorry."

_Gosh, she's cute._

_Where'd she come from?_

_Jingle bells…_

Luna hated hearing peoples thoughts. She rarely did, but she needed to see if they were lying.

"Who are you?" Said the boy with glasses.

Luna straightened herself out. "I'm Luna, Luna Crowe. This is my brother Nathaniel."

Nathaniel, unsure what to do, held his little sister closer. Misty was still crying. She was very sensitive.

"Why are you here?" Said the bigger boy again. "You couldn't have appeared out of thin air."

"Yeah, well, Our mother was killed. We're staying with our Aunt Louise. She's the warden here."

"What?!" Said the boy who was singing 'jingle bells'. "The warden?"

"Yeah?" Luna was confused.

_Lu, can we leave?_ She looked at Nathaniel. He wanted to leave.

"Listen, I have to go…we have to go." Luna said quickly. She picked up Misty and pulled Nathaniel behind her. "Nice meeting you." She called back.

The boys looked at each other. "Weird."

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**_If you haven't picked it up, Luna can read minds. _**

**_Hope you liked this chapter!!_**


	4. Introductions

"Misty, never run off like that again." Luna placed her little sister on her cot.

"Sorry, Lu." Misty said, "I was bored."

"Lu, do we really have to stay here?" Nathaniel asked. Luna looked at him and then at Misty.

"We do." Luna said, "There's nowhere else for us to go."

"Those boys are scary, Lu, and I don't like them." Nathaniel pouted.

"I like them." Misty said, still clutching her bunny, Hoppy. "They were nice to me."

Just then they heard someone at the flap of their tent.

"Hello?" Luna was nervous.

"It's me. One of the boys you met before."

"C-Come in." Luna stuttered

They boy who walked in had curly brown hair. "Hey."

"Hi!" Said Misty, jumping off the cot.

"Hey." Said Luna. She was still unsure about everything.

"Who are you?" Nathaniel asked rudely.

"Nat!" Luna glared at him. He looked at the floor, scorned.

"My names Caveman." The boy said.

"Is that really your name?" Misty asked innocently.

Caveman chuckled, "No my real names Stanley. But, everyone here has nicknames." He looked at Luna, "Sorry about before. We just wanted to help her."

"It's okay. Really." Luna smiled to let him know she wasn't lying, "I'm glad you kept her in one spot so we could find her easier."

Caveman laughed, "Glad we could help."

"Thank-you." Misty said. She smiled.

"It's no problem." He said, "Well, sorry to bother you." He smiled and walked out of the tent.

Misty put on her 'I-told-you-so' face and looked at Nathaniel. "See, I told you they were nice."

"You sure did, Misty." Luna said, staring at the tent door.

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"You talked to her?" ZigZag asked as they walked to the mess hall.

"Yeah." Caveman said casually. He didn't see what the big deal was.

"What's she like?" X-Ray said. He pushed Zero aside so he could stand near Caveman.

"She's cool." He answered, "She's very protective, though."

Armpit and Squid looked at each other. "Could she really be related to the Warden?" Squid asked after a period of silence, "She's too cute."

"Yeah." ZigZag said in a dreamy voice, "She's cute." He sighed and skipped off to the mess hall.

"He really is crazy." Said Armpit, off topic.

"Well, I guess they could be related. In some weird way maybe." Caveman looked in the direction of the off green tent. "Some really weird way."


	5. Disgusting Food and Slip Ups

**ok here i am...got lost a minute...**

**jk :) anyway here is the next chap. sorry it took so long but it was tough to write.**

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Luna, Nathaniel, and Misty walked towards the mess hall.

"We're gonna eat, right?" Misty said in her innocent voice.

"Yeah, I'm really hungry." Nathaniel said, nodding his head.

"That's where we're going now." Luna said with a smile, "Soon you'll be eating soon."

"Yay!" Misty said.

They reached the door of the mess hall. Luna took a deep breath while Misty and Nathaniel watched her nervously walk through the door.

When she stepped in, every eye turned to stare at them. She led the kids over to the food line. They stood in the awkward silence. Every thought raced towards Luna, giving her a headache. She tried to tune them out but some still slipped through.

"Let's go sit with Caveman!" Misty didn't seem to notice the stares.

"I don't think we should, Mist." Luna shook her head.

Nathaniel moved closer to Luna, "Me too. I don't want sit with any of them."

""But, Nat." Misty began to beg. "He's gonna ask us to sit with him." She tapped her forehead.

"Oh." Nathaniel let out a long sigh. "I understand."

Suddenly, they heard a voice call out to them. "Come sit over here!"

Sure enough, it was Caveman. Luna looked at Misty, who shot her a smile. _Told you so._

Luna sat at the empty seat Caveman saved. Nathaniel and Misty squeezed in on either side of her.

"Hi, Caveman!" Misty waved to him.

"Hey." He smiled back at her. He looked at Luna, who smiled back. "Oh. these are the the guys. X-Ray, Armpit, Squid, ZigZag, and Zero."

"Are those their nicknames?" Misty looked at the boy sitting next to her.

Caveman nodded, "Yeah."

"What's your name?" Squid asked Luna.

"Luna." She answered.

"What kind of name is that?" ZigZag asked.

Before Luna could say anything, Nathaniel cut in, "What kind of name is ZigZag?"

"Nat!" Luna was shocked her brother had said anything.

Nathaniel, who could tell how angry Luna was, sank down in his seat. "Sorry."

ZigZag gave Nathaniel another evil look, which Caveman caught. "Zig, leave him alone. He's just a kid."

After a few seconds of silence, Luna couldn't help but question what was sitting on her plate. "Okay, I'm sorry, but I have to ask. What is this?"

"We call it sloop." Armpit spoke with his mouth full.

Luna could tell Nathaniel and Misty were watching her, waiting for her to eat some. She took a deep breath and forced herself to swallow it. Sure enough, Misty and Nathaniel took a bite.

"Are you sure you're related to the Warden?" ZigZag blurted out.

"Uh, I guess so. Mom never talked about her but I guess she is family. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here." Luna looked back down at her tray.

X-Ray and Magnet glanced at each other.

_I can't believe it! They really are related to her... I feel really sorry for them._

"Don't fell bad for us, Caveman. I mean, we really don't know her yet. And she can't be that bad. After all, we are family." Luna forced herself to swallow another spoonful.

Caveman looked at her. "What?"

"I said -"

"No, I mean, I didn't...say anything." They all stared at her.

"But, I heard you say..." Nathaniel poked her. Then she realized what had happened, "Oh no..."

X-Ray looked at her suspiciously. "I didn't hear him say anything."

"Um, uh..." Luna stuttered. Nathaniel shook his head and Misty watched.

"I was thinking of saying that but -" Caveman began but Luna cut in.

"See, I... uh, sorta imagined you would say that and I just answered out loud." She chuckled nervously.

"Really?" Caveman pushed his tray back and leaned his elbows on the table.

"Yeah, really..." She nodded. She could tell they didn't believe her. It didn't even make sense. So, she decided to make a well needed escape. Thankfully, Misty provided her with one when she yawned.

Luna said what she had to say in one breath, "Well, I guess we should go. The kids are getting tired and I don't want to keep them up any longer. After all, Misty has trouble sleeping as it is and -"

"I don't have trouble falling -" Misty began but Luna quickly covered her mouth with her hand.

"Kids. They don't know what they're talking about." Luna chuckled.

"But, Lu -" Misty started again.

Luna stood up quickly and picked Misty up out of her seat. "Lets go. Time for bed."

She quickly put the trays back and rushed as quickly as she could out of the mess hall.

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"I can't believe I just did that." Luna was pacing the tent.

Nathaniel nodded, "You almost ruined it, Lu."

She sat down, "I know, I know."

"You have to be careful." He looked at her nervously.

She saw how worried he looked. She sighed, "I will be. I just slipped up, thats all."

"Mom, wouldn't have slipped up. She was always careful." He curled up on his cot and pulled the blanket up to his chin.

"You're right, Nat." Luna stared at the ground. "She wouldn't have."

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**thats all i've got for now. but i have another chappie. but you have to wait for it... ha ha!**


	6. Confrontations

**here is chappie 6. i couldn't wait any longer to post it...i don't know why but i need to do it.**

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"LUNA!"

She woke up with a jump and sat up. She walked over to the door. Pendanski was standing there with a huge smile.

"Good morning, Luna." He smiled.

"What time is it? It's still dark out." Luna rubbed her eyes. "And what do you want?"

"The Warden want to see you." He was a little to happy for this early in the morning.

Luna looked at him a moment. "Alright. Let me throw something on."

After she got dressed, she nudged Nathaniel awake."Nat, I need to go see Aunt Louise. You'll be ok, right?"

"Yeah." He mumbled sleepily.

She kissed his forehead and left the tent.

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Inside, the cabin was cold. Luna took a seat on the couch and waited. The cabin was nice, but not what she expected.

Suddenly, Aunt Louise appeared from a room in the back. "Luna, I have something to tell you."

"Okay...?" Luna wasn't quite sure how to take it.

"I'm allowing you and... the other two, to stay here out of the goodness of my heart. So, I think you should do some work to repay for being so kind." Her Aunt sat in the chair across from her.

"What?!" Luna muttered.

"I can't just let you stay here without getting anything in return, can I?" Aunt Louise attempted a smile. It came out all crooked.

Luna couldn't believe it, "So, because we're staying here, you want me to work for you? I thought you took us in because we're family and you cared about us."

Aunt Louise jumped at Luna and smacked her across the face. "Are you calling me a bad Aunt?"

"No." Luna rubbed her cheek.

"Good. What I want you to do is join the boys and dig. One hole. Five feet deep, five feet wide." Aunt Louise sat back down.

"Everyday?" Luna swallowed loudly.

"Yes. Then you can do odd little jobs I find for you."

Luna sighed. "Okay, I guess." She didn't want to be smacked again.

"Good. That's all." Her aunt waved her away.

Luna left the cabin. Her cheek still throbbed and she was trying to figure out what had happened.

She went back to the tent, woke up Nathaniel up again, told him to watch Misty, and went to find where she was suppose to go.

There was a group of boys and she walked over to join them. She found Caveman on the edge of the group and stood beside him.

"Hey." She muttered. She wasn't sure how he would treat her after what had happened at dinner.

"Hey." He sounded half asleep. "What are you doing here?"

He seemed like he forgot what had happen and Luna wasn't going to remind him, "My aunt wants me to...dig holes."

"What?" He woke up Little, "No way!"

"Yeah. She said it's the least I could do since she's allowing us to stay with her."

He shook his head, "In some ways, it doesn't surprise me. She is one evil woman."

She sighed. "Yesterday, I would have yelled at you for that. But, I'm beginning to agree with you."

Caveman pushed his way through the group. When he got back, he had two shovels. He handed one to Luna, "You're gonna need this."

"Thanks." She took it.

A tall cowboy led the group out towards the holes. After what felt like miles, he stopped, showed Caveman and the others where to dig, and began to walk away.

"Hey, wait a minute." Luna called after him. He stopped and looked back at her. "Where am I digging?"

"With B-Tent." He replied.

Luna let out a short laugh. "First, I don't know anybody from there. And, if they're who I think they are... they scare me. I'd rather dig here with... with." She looked at Caveman who whispered, "D-Tent."

"Yeah, right, D - Tent." she continued.

The man walked towards her and made a mark in the dirt with heel of his boot. "Dig here, then."

"Thanks." She said sarcastically. She watched him walk off before looking down at the dirt.

"That took guts." Armpit spoke up.

Luna was confused. "What did?"

"Talking to Mr. Sir like that." X-Ray piped up.

"Who?" She asked.

"Mr. Sir." Caveman answered.

"That's his name?" She couldn't believe it. "Well, now I've heard everything."

"Seriously, though." Squid stuck his shovel in the dirt. "That was really brave. I'm surprised he didn't punch you."

Luna shrugged, "He probably heard Aunt Louise already hit me." she muttered to herself.

"What?" Caveman looked over at her.

"Nothing." She answered.

She could tell it was going to be a long day.

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Luna tossed the shovel to the ground. Her hands were on fire (at least they felt like they were). Mr. Sir had pulled up in his truck and was passing out bags of food. She just sat on the ground and and stared at the sky.

"Here." Caveman placed a bag on her lap and sat beside her.

"Thanks." was all she could mutter.

They sat there in silence a few minutes.

Caveman took a deep breath, _How do I ask? I just can't figure out how she knew what I was gonna say... But, I don't think it's the right time to ask._

"Just ask ask me, okay?" She looked at him.

"Ask you... but, I didn't..." He stuttered. "How did you...?"

She pulled him closer, "What did you want to ask me?"

"How do you do that? I didn't say anything, again, but it's almost like you knew what I was thinking. It's kinda creepy." He watched her.

"I did it again, didn't I?" Luna shook her head. "Listen, I can explain -"

He let out a short chuckle, "Good. Explain it, please."

She stared at him a minute, "I can't."

"But you just said you could. Tell me whats going on."

"Caveman, I really can't tell you. Trust me, I would if I could."

He sat a minute, "Fine, don't tell me." He stood up and walked away.

Luna watched as he climbed back in his hole and began digging again.

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**will Luna ever learn?  
anyway, there it is. hope it wasn't to detailed or boring. i've been working on keeping it short. or, at least i've been trying to.**

**enjoy!!**


	7. Confessing

**big part of the story is coming up (but not in this chappie) but this one is important. it's exciting, i finally advance...****sigh...**

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Luna practically crawled her way back to camp when she was finally done digging. Caveman was still upset and had left her behind, leaving her to fend for herself. She climbed the steps to the cabin slowly, still in pain and tired.

She heard whispers and leaned against the door to listen.

"They don't seem special. Maybe they're the wrong kids." She recognized Pendanski's voice.

"No, they're the right ones." Aunt Louise's voice sent chills up Luna's spine, "The girls look exactly like their mother."

Mr. Sir's voice came next, "But how do we find out if they... you know?"

"We'll test them. Put them in a situation where they have to show us what they can do." Her Aunt sounded cold.

Luna froze and decided that she didn't want to hear anymore she knocked on the door. Pendanski opened it and looked her up and down before letting her inside.

"I finally finished digging. If I'm done for today, can I go?" Luna didn't want to stand there anymore.

"Fine, you can go." Aunt Loise waved her away.

"Thank you." Luna muttered before walking outside. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and thought for awhile before she went to find Nataniel and Misty.

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During dinner, Luna and Caveman ate silently, causing Misty to whine.

"Lu, are you okay?" Misty asked when they got back to the tent.

"I'm fine. I'm just... tired, that's all." Luna tucked her sister into bed and kissed her forehead.

"You're lying." Nathaniel folded his arms. "Tell me the truth."

Luna sat next to him. "I don't want to talk about it right now. Besides, I don't want you worrying over nothing. Now, go to sleep."

After she made sure both kids were asleep she tiptoed out of the tent and made her way toward the other tents. She found the one marked 'D'. Taking a deep breath and going over her options again, she stepped inside. It was dark and Luna couldn't figure out where Caveman was sleeping. So, she found the nearest person, and shoved them off the cot. She heard a thud and some uttered words which woke everyone else up.

"Man, what's your problem?" X-Ray flicked on a hanging lantern and Luna found herself surrounded by the a bunch of half-asleep guys.

"What are you doing here? And, did _you_ push me outta bed?" Squid stood up and rubbed his knee.

Luna nodded slowly, "Sorry about that. I just needed to wake someone up."

"Why me?" Squid flopped down on his cot.

"I...I don't know." She shook her head. "Caveman, I need to talk to you."

"You need to talk to me?" Caveman asked. "Can I ask why?"

She thought a second, "No, because if I take time to explain, I'll change my mind."

"About what?" Armpit questioned.

"Again, not answering that." Luna grabbed Caveman by the arm and pulled him outside.

She led him towards the side of the tent so no one could see them.

"What's going on?" Caveman pulled his arm back.

"Remember how I've kinda been knowing what you're thinking?" She shrugged her shoulders. He nodded, "Well, it's because... because I can read minds." She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Caveman looked at the ground awhile. "What?"

"I can read minds. I know it sounds insane, but I can. And Misty can see into the future. Nat...well, we'll not sure what he can do. He's really smart, i know that much. Actually, he's too smart, but..."

"You expect me to believe that you can read minds?" Caveman sighed. "It sounds crazy."

Luna rolled her eyes, "It's true, though. How did I know that you wanted to ask me something earlier? Explain that. As much as you think it's impossible, it's true."

Caveman rubbed his eyes. "I...I need to sleep." He walked back into the tent. Luna couldn't believe he just left her standing there.

------

**short but... anyway, hope it's okay.**


	8. Some Plans and Some News

**i was wondering why i haven't gotten any reviews. like, i don't completely care about reviews...okay i do. please, review (begging face)**

**------**

"You told him?!" Nathaniel's mouth fell open.

"Yes, I told him. But, I had to tell him. If you knew the whole story, you've agreed with me. Just, trust me, okay?" Luna quickly climbed into bed. "I had very good reasons to tell him."

Nathaniels mouth stayed open a while, "Did you tell him about Me and Misty?"

"First, there's nothing about you to tell. Second, yes, I did." She turned her back to him. "Just go back to bed and don't worry about it."

She could feel Nathaniel staring at her. "I still can't believe you said something." He sat quietly before going back to sleep.

Luna couldn't believe what she did either. And now she was really sorry she did.

------

The next two days, Caveman had avoided her like the plaque. She didn't want to talk to him anyway. And, everyone could tell that something was wrong. But, of course no one knew.

Finally, Caveman sat on the edge of her hole. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh, really?" She stabbed the dirt with her shovel and glared at him. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

"I needed some time to think. You know, about what you said. At first, I thought you were crazy. But, everytime I tried to make myself believe that you were insane, I kept coming back to how you knew what I was thinking and it didn't add up." He sighed. "I... I guess I should apologize."

She looked at him awhile, "I'm glad you finally came to your senses because I need to talk to someone about this. Misty and Nathaniel can't know about it. They'll worry to much."

"What's wrong?" He leaned in closer.

"I...over heard Aunt Louise talking about us. At least I think it was us. Mr. Sir said something about someone who was special. Who else could that be?"

"Do you think they know?"

"I have a feeling they do. And they're planning something."

He thought a moment, "What do you want to do about it?"

"Well, I haven't thought about that yet. I was hoping you could help me." She shrugged her shoulders. "And you don't have to do anything. Just help me think of a plan."

He smiled, "Mom'll probably have one of those...meetings where we talk about what we wanna do with our lives and stuff. Maybe you should pretend you didn't know and sit in on it. You might be able to read his mind and find something out. After all, he's not that bright. Even for a doctor."

"That sounds like a plan. I just hope it works."

------

"Jose, don't you think that what you did was wrong?" Pendanski glared at the boy.

"I told you, my name's not Jose." Magnet got a little mad.

"You ever you are, what do you think-" He started but suddenly Luna just brust in. "Hello, Luna. What are you doing here?"

She balanced a basket on her hip, "Oh, Aunt Louise wanted me to collect laundry. I didn't mean to barge in of anything. I can always come back later." She turned to leave, hoping he would stop her.

And he did, "Why don't you join us? We can talk about you for awhile."

She smiled and pulled a chair up beside Squid. "Okay, I guess. But, there's nothing much to talk about when it comes to me."

"Well, why don't you tell us why you're here."

She froze. "Uh...alright. I, uh, had a best friend who was living with us for awhile till her parents moved into a new house in another state. She was going by train to meet them and, um, she never made it there. Her mom called my mom and told us. Mom said she would help look for her. While she was there she was, uh..." She couldn't tell the truth. "Um, in an accident and she died." She was an expert at making herself cry and began to tear. "I never had the chance to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry, Luna. That must have been so hard." Pendanski reached out a patted her on the shoulder.

She nodded. "And now, poor Misty and Nathaniel. They nave no one. You know, except for Aunt Louise, who..." She let out a deep breath and cried harder.

"Why don't you just sit for a while and relax." Pendanski's gaze turned toward the boys.

While he was talking, Luna tried hard to drown out all the other thoughts and focus on Pendanski.

_Walker didn't say anything about a car accident. Maybe we do have the wrong kids. I remember Mr. Sir telling the Hunter where she would be. We even saw her. So, where are the kids? William's is not going to be to haappy about this. I hope we can push back the deadline and find the kids. He was really expecting the whole family. This isn't good. Oh, wait, I should make a comment now or they'll know I'm not paying attention..._

She straightened up and look toward Caveman. He saw she was worried andhad a feeling she read Pendanski's mind. And that it wasn't good news.

------

Luna laid in her cot. Her mother was alive and Pendanski confirmed it. Ellie may still be alive, too. Now all she had to do was find them, rescue them and get as far away as possible. But, it was easier said then done.

------

**there it is. i hope it goes over well...**


	9. Luna's Secret

**sorry it took so long to update. I got a new computer and I've been trying to figure it out. anyway, i hope you like this chappie (though i doubt anyone's still reading it)**

**if you are, im glad!**

"What happened last night?" Caveman asked as soon as Luna sat beside him for lunch.

"I think my mom's still alive." She muttered. "Pendanski said, or rather thought, something about seeing her."

After a minute of silence, Caveman spoke up, "If that's true, then you don't have to stay here."

"But, she's still missing. I don't even know where I would begin looking."

"Do you think she's some where near camp?"

"She might be. Pendanski also though something about a hunter and a guy named Williams. Ever heard of them?" She asked desperately.

"No, But, that's a place to start. Maybe you can find out who they are."

She looked at him. "How would I do that?"

"I have no idea. Knowing you, though, you'll find some way." Caveman took a bite of his sandwich.

"Thanks, I guess." She nodded.

X-Ray suddenly appeared behind them, "What is going on with you two?"

Luna looked at him and Caveman rolled his eyes.

"Yeah." ZigZig piped up, "One day, Luna's sneaking into the tent to see you, Caveman. Then, your not talking to each other. Now, you're always together. It's suspicious."

Luna stood to face them, "Nothing's going on. Besides, it's none of your business."

"Just tell us already." Squid said from his hole.

She took a deep breath. "Fine, I'll tell you. I-"

"What are you doing?" Caveman jumped to his feet. "You're gonna risk everything."

"Trust me, okay?" She shot him a look before looking back at the others. "Aunt Louise hasn't been treating me right and everything. I needed someone to talk to and I thought Caveman would be a good person to confide in. That's all there is to it."

ZigZag and X-Ray exchanged glances. Caveman waited for someone to say something and Luna folded her arms.

"I say there's something more going on…" ZigZag put his hand on his chin.

Luna sighed, "Well, I'm gonna give it to you straight, there's nothing else."

"Yeah." Caveman nodded.

_I still think something's going on. Maybe they're like a couple or something…_

"We are not a couple, X-Ray. Gosh, what's so hard to understand about that?" Luna shouted, getting really tired of the conversation.

"I-I didn't say anything." X-Ray stated. "I was thinking it but…how did you know that?"

Luna slapped her hand to her forehead and muttered under her breath. "Oh no. I didn't just…"

"You did." Caveman looked over at her and back at the others. "Guess you have no choice now."

"No choice about what?" Magnet had joined in and suddenly the others were asking the same questions. Luna didn't want to tell them, but she knew now that she had to since she just read X-Ray's thoughts and answered them out loud.

"Alright, I'll tell you. But, you have to promise you won't say anything to anyone. Especially don't tell Aunt Louise, Mr. Sir, or Pendanski." After all the boys promised, Luna took a deep breath and blurted it out as fast as she could. "I can read thoughts. And, my mom didn't die in a car accident. She was murdered, at least that's what I thought till I read Pendanski's thoughts and found out she's still alive. Now, she's just missing."

There was silence for a while they tried to take in the information.

"You can read minds?" Armpit asked slowly. Luna nodded. "So, you've know things we thought?"

She nodded again, "I know it's kinda… strange and odd, but it's true. And Misty, she can see the future. We're not sure about Nathaniel yet. He is super smart, though."

"I don't like this." ZigZag shook his head. The others nodded and muttered in agreement before they walked off to their own holes.

"Well, that went better then I thought it would." Caveman said. "At least they know now. That might not be a good thing though."

Luna glared at him. "Then why didn't you stop me?" She rolled her eyes and jumped in her hole. "I just hope they don't tell anyone."

**short, i know but i'll try to make the next chap longer**


	10. The Warden's Deeds

**there's a story behind this chapter. a very long one so i won't tell it. but, anyway, here it is finally.**

000

Luna walked back to the tent. The events of the day played out in her head over and over. She wanted to punish herself for telling everyone about her gift so easily. It was the worst thing she could do. At least, that's what her mother always said. She sighed loudly. What she needed right now was to talk to her Mom. She just needed some advice.

Before she walked into the tent, she looked back at the Wreck room. D-Tent was just walking inside. She wished so much that she could go back in time to stop herself.

She pushed her way inside and automatically knew something was wrong. The tent was empty. Nathaniel had promised that he would keep Misty inside the tent until she got back. He never broke a promise.

Luna spun around and ran to the mess hall, sticking her head inside. They weren't there. That's when the worst thing came to her head.

**000**

"Do really believe Luna? You know, that she reads minds?" Squid asked for the tenth time.

Caveman sighed. He wanted to walk back with Luna but the guys made sure he couldn't. "Like I said, I believe her, okay?"

Magnet laughed, "Why? She's obviously insane if she thinks she can. That's not normal."

"Listen, I believe she can do it." Caveman began to explain, "I mean, how else did she know all that stuff. It makes sense to me."

"Then you're both crazy, man." Armpit shook his head.

Suddenly, Luna came stumbling into the wreak run and skidded to a halt in front of them. She looked at them, unsure what do say. "I...I..."

"Luna, what's wrong?" Caveman sounded worried.

"I...can't find Nathaniel and Misty. I looked everywhere. I just can't find them." She managed to squeak out the words before she shut her mouth tight again.

"What do you mean you can't find them?" Caveman stood up straight.

Luna took a deep breath. "They're gone. Nat promised he'd take care of Misty." She swallowed loudly, "I'm afraid something's happened to them."

Squid stepped forward and Luna expected a rude comment, "What could've happened?"

She thought a moment before she turned back to Caveman, "Since you'd understand this better then anyone, I want you to listen carefully." She cleared her throat. "I think I know who has them. And, if I'm right, I'm going to kill her." Her voice went from upset and scared to angry. "And, I'll kill her with my own hands." She whipped around and walked out of the wreak room.

Caveman turned to the others, "That doesn't sound good. I think I, uh, should go with her."

**000  
**

Luna stormed her way to the Warden's Cabin. She knew exactly what she was going to say when the door opened.

The sound of footsteps came from behind her. Caveman grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "You can't do this."

"And why can't I?" Luna yanked her hand back. "Those two are the only family I have left right now. I'm their big sister and I'm suppose to protect them."

"There has to be another way, then. You can't take the Warden on all by yourself."

Luna looked back at the cabin, "No, there isn't. I sure wish there was, though." She walked away and climbed up the steps. Knocking lightly on the door, she tried thinking of another way.

The door opened just as Caveman reached her side. Pendanski grinned, "Well, we were just about to come get you." He moved to the side to let them walk in.

Inside, the Warden was sitting on a couch that was facing the door. To Luna's surprise, X-Ray was sitting across from her in a metal chair.

"Luna, I'm so glad to see you." The Warden's mouth twisted into an evil smile.

"What did you do with the kids?" Luna demanded. "I know what you're up to. You're not even my real Aunt, are you?"

The Warden smiled wider, "How'd you know?"

"It was easy. I know everything and I want them back." Luna sniffed as she tried not to cry, "I want them back right now."

"I can't do that." The Warden shook her head. "See, X-Ray here told me everything you said. So, now I know your little secret."

Luna looked over at X-Ray, shocked. He looked ashamed and would not meet her gaze. Caveman closed his eyes, knowing right away that he knew she shouldn't have said anything.

"What I can do is arrange for you to see them again. But, I can't let them go." The Warden signaled. Pendanski left the room and came back with two other men, both of which carried handguns. "You're going to have to stay with them. Until, at least, I get the money I asked for. Then, you get to leave."

One of the men grabbed Luna's arm and shoved the gun into her side. She noticed that he weighed about the same as her and he was only an inch taller. With all that added up and the fact that he wasn't very muscular, she knew she could take him down easily. The one thing that stopped her was that she knew going with him would be the only way she would ever see Nathaniel and Misty again.

Caveman suddenly dove forward, "I'm not letting you take her. I know what you're doing, too. And. I'll make sure you never get away with it." He shouted at the Warden. He went to attack the man that held Luna captive.

"Fine," The Warden signaled a second time, "if you're so insistent, then you can go with her." The other man shoved his gun into Caveman's back and twisted his arm.

As they were pushed to the door, Luna looked over her shoulder. X-Ray had jumped to his feet. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing."

Luna nodded, trying her best to let him know that she forgave him. Unwillingly, she stepped outside towards a white van with tinted windows. She knew exactly what this meant. A feeling came over her that this was what she was suppose to do.

**000**

sorry again about the long time updating this. please, r and r!


	11. Trapped

Luna and Caveman were thrown into the back violently before two of the men climbed in the back with them. Looking towards the front, Luna noticed the man driving, another one in the passengers seat, and the rifle that was between them. Seeing that alone caused panic to settle in Luna's throat but she tried her best to push it away.

Opposite her was Caveman, who slammed his head against the side. "I can't believe X would do this. You begged him to promise. And he did." He closed his eyes, looking like he had already given up.

"Don't completely blame him, Stanley." Luna glared at one of the men, watching his hand with the gun. "I think that I would have said something if it were me."

Caveman's head popped back up. "Are you serious? We could be…" His words faded away as he looked at the other man. "You can't possibly forgive him. He made a promise and he broke it. And that's a really big secret to tell everyone. So, don't just sit there and forgive him." He looked over at Luna and they stared at each other a moment.

She looked down. "Maybe it's for the best."

000

It felt like they had rode for hours before the van finally stopped. As they were pulled out, Luna noticed how much darker it was outside and decided it had to be sometime in the middle of the night. She looked at Caveman again and saw him searching around him. She did the same and realized what had him puzzled.

There was nothing there. Just dirt for miles. There wasn't even a sign of camp anywhere. The man who had been driving walked out in front of them and got down on his knees. As he began dusting away some dirt, Luna realized what was going on. She wasn't going to Misty and Nathaniel. Louise had lied. Which shouldn't have been surprising.

Suddenly, the man pulled a latched from the dirt and a door creaked open. Luna felt herself pushed forward and the man grabbed her by the arm. He turned her to face him and smiled wickedly. "Watch your step."

He pushed he forward again and she saw the steps. Instead of fighting, Luna stepped inside and looked around. She turned around just in time to see Stanley stumble down the steps. He turned to run back up but the door slammed shut, leaving them in complete darkness. There was silence a while before Luna decided they desperately needed some light. She searched the ceiling till her hand hit into something. She pulled the string and the single light flickered on.

Caveman was still standing by the stairs and turned around. "I can't believe this is happening." He looked at Luna, who was looking around. "What're we gonna do?"

"I don't know." Luna finally looked at him, struggling to come up with something. Her brain was fighting her, keeping her from focusing. "Whatever it is, we won't be finding anyone until we get out of here. I just don't know how we're going to do that." She let out a deep breath as she looked at the stairs. "That's an old door. It has to be weak."

Pushing past Caveman, she began pushing up on the door as hard as she could. It surprised her a little at how strong it was. Caveman had joined in and was pushing too. They didn't know how long they had tried but when they collapsed on the steps, every muscle ached.

"I'm sorry." Luna leaned her head against the wall. "This is all my fault. I just didn't…I didn't know what else to do."

Caveman rubbed his sore arms, "It's okay, Luna. It isn't your fault."

Luna closed her eyes and hit her head against the wall lightly. "Yes, it is. It's my fault because I was so focused on finding Misty and Nat that I didn't realized what could happen. It's all because of my stupidity and the fact that I'm an idiot. Now, you've been pulled into it more and we might not make it out of here alive." She felt the tears run down her cheeks as she stopped to catch her breath. "They were all I had left. My mom was gone and I thought I'd never see her again. I can't lose them, Caveman."

As she cried more, Caveman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him. She buried her face in his shoulder and cried harder.

"Luna, it's not your fault at all. No one could have ever guessed this would happen. It's all a little weird to think about. The Warden's just a good liar." He paused a moment before he continued. "I understand about Nat and Misty. I mean, I don't have any brother or sisters, but if I did, I would be doing what you are. They're your family. And they're younger then you. They don't know what's going on. You're the only one who can fight for them right now. You have to and I'm going to fight with you. After all, those kids start to grow on you."

Luna sniffed and wiped away tears. "What if something happened to them and I'm too late. What if-"

Caveman cut in, "Don't think that way. Right now, let's just try to think of a way to get out of here and find them."


End file.
